Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-11-17
Lamar and Sparks.


Democratic Land Commissioner Sparks.
for good while has managed to keep up
lively muss in the official circles of Wash
ington. His vanity and stubbornness have
constantly stood in the way of a ready
and reasonable transaction of business
with his office. From the very commence
ment Of his official life he has assumed
wholly unbecoming attitudes and airs, and
claimed that his predecessors were fools
or knaves. But finding little to find fault
with in the republican administration of
the Land Office, he has been for some
time in quarTels with his democratic as-o-
ciates. The friction between him and
Lamar, Secretary of Interior. has finally
burst out into open war. The secretary
makes the point, that if Sparks does not
throw up his office, he will no longer re-
main in the Cabinet, Lamar has got his
southern blood up to boiling, and pOurs
out his Indignation in hot lava streams.
The number of decisions of the Commits
-ioner in regard to public lands which
"a II.
hundred. but the stubborn. pugnaciouS
Starks has gone on steadily in his rulings
entirely in conflict with all law and right.
The southern Secretary strongly disliked
to take firm stand against the Commits
-ioner. and thus exhibit to the world the
most serious quarrel which has taken place
within the Cleveland official circles, but
Lamar could hold back no longer, and it
now remains for the President to decide
which of these conflicting official servants
he will get rid of. Lamar's letter To Sparks
growing out Of the adjustment Of the Chi
cago, St Paul and Minneapolis Railroad
| grants, stings in every line. Among other
/ things he says
| have neither the disposition to enter upon
polemc discussion with subordinate
nor To engage with him at his insistance in "A
/ gadiatoria combat especially SO in matter
in which he has received my carefully ma
tured Instructions matter of pressing i'm
| portanee in the public administration of my
public duties. In no other way can the
/ functions of a great public department he
succe ssfully executed than for the chief to
/ coHIUdnH anu tHc SUBORDINATE 10 ODt}.
| Declining to discuss with YOU these past
decisions, certainly did not so instruct you
/ in my recent decision of October {, 1887
and you did not even pretend to have mis-
understood the meaning of my instructions.
| You conclude your paper with another
elaborate criticism of my decision upon the
/ branch line of the Omaha Road. You claim
gross error on my part in allowing indemnity
| for reservations putting your argument upon
| the proviso to the granting act under con
/ sideratlon by me. II seems however, to
have escaped your attention that it was
neither my purpose nor my duty IN commune
eating to you my construction of this grant
TO assume the task of convincing you of the
| correctness of these instructions by an
elaborate citation of all decided eases APP
plicablc to the subject. | had conceived it
to be my duty as the head of this department,
aud having strictly in view my oath of office,
To direct you as to what duties | required
you to perform | had also conceived it to be
! equally your duty under the same obligations
/ To obey my instructions or withdraw Yourself
/ from the duty of so doing in the only way
recognized under the laws and usages of
public life in civilized countries, especially
50 when was myself but acting in direct
.
which imposes upon me the exclusive duty of
causing these grants to be adjusted.
However We may differ in our construction
of the statutes, of outside cases and what
ever variance may exist in our conceptions of
our public duties, | am constrained to say to
you that there is obviously one point upon
which we are in thorough accord Upon this
point you have succeeded in the communica-
ton before me in rivetng on my mind pro-
| found conviction. The practical effect of
your present course is that you can not exc
cute my orders and follow my instructions
and cooperate in my administration without
surrenderlng opinions which should be con
scientousy entertained with reference to
vitality important interests.
Under these circumstances it is due to or
DERBY and decorous administration of the Gov
ernment, to important public interests and the
common cause contded in part to our hands
! by the President, and to the personal regard
that we should both entertain for him, that he
shall be allowed to choose "A secretary of the
interior who will conform his administration
tn your opinions, or to appoint a commission
er of public lands who will administer his bu-
reau in harmony of spirit and concert of ac-
ton with the chief of the department. and
without putting him to the necessity of more
decisive action on his part This alternative
| | shall submit to the President at the same
time that this paper will be handed to YOU.
A Frenchman's Opinion.